and development standards help to mould infrastructure development, as well as
protect urban landscapes or manage risk associated with open spaces. Decision
makers can examine which regulations contribute to climate change adaptation,
and which do not, or have conflicting objectives.
3. Market or Incentive-based policies: as explained in para 9.6.5 and 11.7.3,
redundancy increases reliability and resilience, but providing two components
instead of one increases costs. Thus, a trade-off may be required in public policies
which try to promote resilience in infrastructure design, construction, and operation compared to their efficiency during normal periods. Usually, infrastructure
managers have little motivation to increase resilience, as everyday cost dictates
operation procedures. However, if increases in reliability can be compensated
with subsidies or if insufficient reliability (a given number or more of suspended
hours of service per year) is penalised with fines, these can provide some
incentive for the infrastructure operator to work towards increasing resilience.
4. Institution-based solutions: When a disaster or crisis occurs, the emergency
response required may exceed resources available locally. In those cases, it helps
if there is a framework among neighbouring towns or countries which can help
pool these emergency resources, (e.g. forest fire fighting among European countries). Even if there is no climate change, such pooling frameworks help against
natural risks.
5. Direct investments: government and local authorities either invest directly in
infrastructure or through public-private partnerships. Additional investments are
needed to increase infrastructure reliability and resilience. Other alternatives for
the latter include:
(i) investments to retrofit prevailing infrastructure;
(ii) adding new infrastructure (at extra cost) to increase present resilience;
(iii) duplicating infrastructure (para 9.6.5 and 11.7.3) and increase redundancy and
resilience.
10.4.5 Examples of Policy Options
Infrastructure resilience, once identified, may be provided in many forms both to old
and new systems. The following is a non exhaustive list:
• Increased infrastructure robustness to extreme events (drainage systems with
increased carrying capacities to cater for higher flows).
• Modifications in construction standards for buildings and infrastructures (e.g., all
new buildings should be able to withstand well estimated cyclonic winds, and
built, well above ground level).
• Retrofit programs to strengthen all buildings and infrastructure (e.g., all (new and
old) buildings should be able to withstand cyclonic winds).
• Inform infrastructure investors systematically about spatial and temporal longterm natural risks.
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protect urban landscapes or manage risk associated with open spaces. Decision
makers can examine which regulations contribute to climate change adaptation,
and which do not, or have conflicting objectives.
3. Market or Incentive-based policies: as explained in para 9.6.5 and 11.7.3,
redundancy increases reliability and resilience, but providing two components
instead of one increases costs. Thus, a trade-off may be required in public policies
which try to promote resilience in infrastructure design, construction, and operation compared to their efficiency during normal periods. Usually, infrastructure
managers have little motivation to increase resilience, as everyday cost dictates
operation procedures. However, if increases in reliability can be compensated
with subsidies or if insufficient reliability (a given number or more of suspended
hours of service per year) is penalised with fines, these can provide some
incentive for the infrastructure operator to work towards increasing resilience.
4. Institution-based solutions: When a disaster or crisis occurs, the emergency
response required may exceed resources available locally. In those cases, it helps
if there is a framework among neighbouring towns or countries which can help
pool these emergency resources, (e.g. forest fire fighting among European countries). Even if there is no climate change, such pooling frameworks help against
natural risks.
5. Direct investments: government and local authorities either invest directly in
infrastructure or through public-private partnerships. Additional investments are
needed to increase infrastructure reliability and resilience. Other alternatives for
the latter include:
(i) investments to retrofit prevailing infrastructure;
(ii) adding new infrastructure (at extra cost) to increase present resilience;
(iii) duplicating infrastructure (para 9.6.5 and 11.7.3) and increase redundancy and
resilience.
10.4.5 Examples of Policy Options
Infrastructure resilience, once identified, may be provided in many forms both to old
and new systems. The following is a non exhaustive list:
• Increased infrastructure robustness to extreme events (drainage systems with
increased carrying capacities to cater for higher flows).
• Modifications in construction standards for buildings and infrastructures (e.g., all
new buildings should be able to withstand well estimated cyclonic winds, and
built, well above ground level).
• Retrofit programs to strengthen all buildings and infrastructure (e.g., all (new and
old) buildings should be able to withstand cyclonic winds).
• Inform infrastructure investors systematically about spatial and temporal longterm natural risks.
300
10 Climate Change and Infrastructure